Bail Money

(AOL News) — When the Republican House leadership decided to start the 112th Congress with a reading of the U.S. Constitution, the decision raised complaints in some quarters that it was little more than a political stunt. The New York Times even called it a “presumptuous and self-righteous act.”

That might be true, if you could be sure that elected officials actually know something about the Constitution. But it turns out that many don’t.

In fact, elected officials tend to know even less about key provisions of the Constitution than the general public.

For five years now, the Intercollegiate Studies Institute has been conducting a national survey to gauge the quality of civic education in the country. We’ve surveyed more than 30,000 Americans, most of them college students, but also a random sample of adults from all educational and demographic backgrounds. . . .

But those elected officials who took the test scored an average 5 percentage points lower than the national average (49 percent vs. 54 percent), with ordinary citizens outscoring these elected officials on each constitutional question. Examples:

Only 49 percent of elected officials could name all three branches of government, compared with 50 percent of the general public.

Only 46 percent knew that Congress, not the president, has the power to declare war — 54 percent of the general public knows that.

Just 15 percent answered correctly that the phrase “wall of separation” appears in Thomas Jefferson’s letters — not in the U.S. Constitution — compared with 19 percent of the general public.

And only 57 percent of those who’ve held elective office know what the Electoral College does, while 66 percent of the public got that answer right. (Of elected officials, 20 percent thought the Electoral College was a school for “training those aspiring for higher political office.”)

Overall, our sample of elected officials averaged a failing 44 percent on the entire 33-question test, 5 percentage points lower than the national average of 49 percent.

Well hey they went to the elite schools. They are so much smarter than us serfs.

The REAL Bob

You would think . . . nah.

whthfk

We can’t expect those we elected to office to guard and protect our Constitution to know anything about the document and the rights each person receives under it
After all they know the Law and control the Law; Whom it will and will not protect thus circumventing the Constitution, bending it to their will.

I have a feeling Obama knows the Constitution inside and out and that is why he is doing everything in his power to destroy it, along with the progressive Liberals.

They keep telling us it’s antiquated and no longer relevant,so that they can rule it outdated and re-write a new one.

I bet ordinary citizens could outscore a lot more than elected officials in a lot of things…like

Science
Mathematics
Geography

John C

OK, so I followed the links and took the test. Scored 100%. It is not a difficult test. If our elected officials could not pass this easy test…no wonder this country is in the sorry shape it is.

deez

I would think by the time they get to office, officials have their own interpretation of what’s in the Constitution.

I was a product of public schools growing up before going off to “elite” colleges, and the Constitution was covered only one year in part of an 8th grade civics course and then the writing of the Constitution/Bill of Rights was mentioned in a 10th grade US History course. I didn’t become a lawyer, so that was the end of it for me (not that specifically taking–or teaching–courses in Constitutional Law seems to help officials know what’s in the document). That was in the 90’s, so I can only imagine that even less is taught of it than ever today.

Jethro

I’m right there with John C. If you didn’t learn about 80% of this stuff by the 6th grade, you must have been in a Spec.Ed. program. I’m not certain which saddens me more, that our elected officials are complete morons, or that the citizenry in general is only slightly more informed on the docments that actually govern our day to day existence.

Pathetic. Absolutely pathetic.

Greg

I’d love to have heard Pelosi, Reid, and Obama if they took these tests.

I mean how the hell could you not know the three branches of government. You are in one of them and have to check and balance the other two.

Crazy ole coot

I grad. in 1961 and haven’t been back to school since. I took the test and passed with a score of 78.4%. And I’m old!!

Greg

Got an 80%…I am smarter than an elected official.

Then again I could have done that with half my brain tied behind my back.

Jeff clings to AK-47

I took this yesterday and got 29 of 33. One question I didn’t read right and missed it. Funny how us “simpletons” continue to out score the elites.

Calypso Jones

why would people interested in power money and sex be interested in the constitution?

Tanya

Should we really be surprised??

FreakyBoy

Guess I’m not qualified for public offfice. I Got 31 right.

Not cause I’m a super smart guy, just fortunate to attend grade school back when they taught this stuff (back in the dark ages when they still allowed tag on the playground and there were actual winners and losers).

http://divedesk.com/blog/ jack

In my workplace and I’m sure many of the Zippers have to do “MANDATORY” yearly training. I HAVE to score minimum 80% or do this training over till I do score minimum 80%!

Every federal elected official should be forced to do “MANDATORY” constitutional training. If they can’t do that they shouldn’t be able to vote on any bill.

comacho

Perhaps this is one answer as to why “alleged law students” laughed out loud at an answer by O’Donnell, during the O’Donnell-Coons debate. O’Donnell happened to be correct, and they didn’t even know it. They think they are so much smarter, and the media and talking heads keep telling them they are so much smarter than the unwashed, uneducated masses across America, and the LEFT believes,- really believes it!

Obama is suffering from the same affliction; he keeps telling everyone how smart he is, and they keep the rumor going, on and on, like a perpetual game of “GOSSIP”. It is stated or implied, then repeated, and so on and so forth. Do most of these idiots know if what they are saying is even true/factual? NO ..and they don’t really care!

Is Obama brilliant?
HELL NO!

The REAL Bob

Some of you might remember that I once told the story of how I went to my county officials in an open forum and when the comment session came up, I suggested the the officials that they make it mandatory that before serving in office, said officials would be required to take a one week course on the U.S. and State Constitutions so they would know and understand the rights of we lowly citizens.

It was met with stone cold silence, then a “thank you, next”. Of course, it never happened. That was many years ago and I’ve wondered ever since why the cold reception. Of the many possibilities I considered, I settled on one. They were not stupid, ignorant or illiterate, maybe they were lazy and maybe they didn’t want to know so they could plead ignorance of the law?

Wrong. It finally dawned on me that they simply DID/DO NOT BELIEVE in the Constitutions nor the rights they confer and guarantee for individuals in our Republic. So why should they study a document and the law they despise and ignore.

In the end, that IS what it all comes down to. If they actually believed in our rights, they would have no problem with a course in the Constitutions. For the most part, they don’t. We elect traitors and despots at all levels.

So, if I was to repeat that experience today, I would ask them one simple question. To you believe in our Constitution and our Constitutionally guaranteed rights? They would answer “yes” because it’s the politically correct answer. Then, I would say, “Prove it. Take the course.”

Bornfree

The people who scored 85%-100% should run fo Congress!!!

Some of our elected officials…hell,most of them…are ignorant of the Constitution and some,like Obama,fully understand it and hate it with everything they have in them.Obama is a Progressive of the Woodrow Wilson variety.

Diamond Girl

Wished they named names of who didn’t know what…this is pathetically precious.

Now…if only msnbc & ilk would report this ~

That would happen when a pig fly’s by my window.

mike r.

It would be great if we could get candidates to take a test to qualify for election and post their scores before WE the PEOPLE vote.

Nothing up my sleeve

But are they smarter than a 5th grader?

I’m with Jack and The REAL Bob on this. I had to take a test to get into my profession and then school for years after to remain in it. A mandatory qualifications test to get in along with schooling on pertinent issues. Drug test them all and term limits. And maybe a little remedial reading course you know to help with all those bills.

whthfk

They don’t have to know the Constitution that’s why their hire the young aides help keep them looking smart, until they open their mouths.

AE

OK I missed the anti-federalist question and got a 90%
As an engineer I may not be smarter than a fifth grader…
…but I know more than those in congress.

comacho

Many of those in Government, have studied, and DO understand the Constitution.
Much like Obama, they have done this so they understand it well enough to undermine, circumvent, and manipulate it. Little by little they re-translate it, transforming it into just another “TOM SAWYER” project; whitewash it, rewrite it, and soon it is lost in HISTORY.

Jeff

I’ve only been a regular here on WZ for about 1 year, and I scored a 100% on the test! Yeah!

Oh wait, does that mean I don’t stand 1 chance in a million of being elected to public office?…

maraz

Unfortunately the audience that tunes into Bill Maher would fail terribly.

Blacksmith8

Um, I don’t think the folks at ISI have economics degrees from Milton Freidman U.

During a recession cutting taxes and increasing spending does not stimulate anything but the lobbyists’ sex drive.

THE ONLY TIME IN THIS COUNTRY’S HISTORY THAT AN ECONOMY WAS STIMULATED BY GOVERNMENT ACTION/INACTION WAS UNDER CALVIN COOLIDGE!!!!!

Sorry for the shouting but this is the ridiculous repeating of libtard LIES that really pisses me off.

Each and everytime this government has increased spending during, before, or after a recession it has failed MISERABLY. We all know finding a tax cut with this crowd of geniuses is just not going to happen.

I missed 4 out of 33, does that mean I’m not allowed to run for city council?

foo

@Blacksmith8

I also got that one “wrong”, though I did so on purpose. (I just couldn’t bring myself to answer it they way I knew they wanted.) Technically, they are (maybe) right because the question does not ask what a governemnt “should” do, it asks what a government is “likely” to do. And sadly, cutting taxes and raising spending is just more likely (at least it seems so today) than cutting both. (Though if you look at the individual US states it seems more “likely” that taxes are increased and spending is decreased. That’s what happens when you don’t have your own personal printing press and times get tough and the debt market has little faith in you and you don’t want to pay double-digit interest rates.)

Also, 33 has no correct answer. A) would be correct if it said “budget deficit” instead of “debt”. D) would be correct if it said “*average* tax per person equals *average* gov spending per person”. The tax on about 1/2 the population is 0, and that same 1/2 receives more than 0 spending, so it’s not equal.